A nerd, a vampire and a Member of the Handsome Men's Club couldn't topple the latest 3-D sensation this weekend as Alice in Wonderland racked up another $62 Million at U.S. theaters. Now, Alice In Wonderland has taken in $208 Million in the states, plus another $221 Million worldwide to bring its complete box office total to $429 Million in just 2 weeks! Between Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, it's hard to imagine any major blockbuster in the next 5 years will be released only in a 2-D format.
Distributors, studios and theaters can charge higher ticket prices, while moviegoers feel the experience is superior to 2-D movies and worth leaving the house to see. Mark my words, by this time next year, Gucci will be selling pink framed 3-D glasses (because fashionistas cannot be expected to wear boring black and risk swine flu germs from those movie theater glasses).
Meanwhile, Matt Damon's Green Zone fizzled as it hauled only $14.5 Million, a major disappointment for a film with such a big star and marketing budget. Even with The Hurt Locker taking the Oscar for Best Picture, moviegoers continue to show they are not interested in seeing any movies about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The heavily promoted comedy, She's Out Of My League came in third with $9.6 Million, which would normally be considered respectable (with no major stars to bring in the crowds), but I think it's another disappointment considering the massive marketing push put on by Paramount. You couldn't watch ESPN for ten minutes without seeing an advertisement or tie-in. I was waiting for Alice Eve to present the Top 10 Plays of the Day, then toss it to Trey Wingo.
Finally, vampire boy Robert Pattinson delivered $8.3 Million in his solo debut, Remember Me. Playing in almost 800 - 1000 theaters less than the other two new offerings this week, and Summit Entertainment's light marketing push, I think it's a small victory for Pattinson and the producers. He'll never reach Twilight levels of frenzy for any other movie (unless they cast him as Spider-Man). However, he might be able to score a couple more paydays as a leading man before his hair falls out (when you put that much effort and product into a shaggy do, male pattern baldness reacts with a vengeance).
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